New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) The Union Ministry of Tourism and software giant Google have joined hands to strengthen promotion of India’s tourism destinations through the use of digital technologies, AI, data-driven insights and capacity building, officials said on Tuesday.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged here on Tuesday between the ministry and Google India in the presence of Union Minister for Tourism and Culture, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration in key areas, including digital tourism promotion, knowledge sharing, capacity building and the use of emerging technologies for enhancing visitor engagement.
“The partnership will leverage Google’s expertise across its digital ecosystem to strengthen the visibility of India’s tourism destinations, experiences and cultural heritage among domestic and international travellers,” the ministry said in a statement.
The collaboration is “non-commercial, non-binding and non-exclusive”, with no financial implications for either side, it said.
The ministry signed the MoU with Google India Pvt. Ltd. to “strengthen the digital promotion of India’s tourism destinations through the use of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, data-driven insights and capacity building,” the statement said.
Shekhawat said, “Digital technologies have the potential to create immersive experiences that can showcase the glory and grandeur of India’s cultural sites to audiences across the world.
“By harnessing cutting-edge digital technologies, we can transform the way travellers discover, experience and engage with India’s rich cultural and natural heritage,” he said.
The minister said the collaboration reflects the ministry’s commitment to adopting innovative, technology-driven approaches to tourism promotion under the Incredible India initiative.
He expressed confidence that the partnership would help strengthen India’s global tourism presence, improve digital outreach, and position the country as a modern, accessible and globally competitive tourism destination.
As part of the collaboration, Google’s insights will be leveraged for global travel trends, traveller behaviour and digital engagement patterns to support evidence-based tourism promotion strategies, it said.
The partnership also envisages training and capacity-building programmes for the ministry on digital marketing tools, campaign optimisation, content creation and emerging technologies, including AI, to enable more targeted, effective and measurable outreach, it added.
The Ministry of Tourism and Google India reaffirmed their shared commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to enhance India’s tourism ecosystem and “promote the country as a preferred global travel destination,” it said.
The event was also attended by Union Tourism Secretary Bhuvnesh Kumar; Suman Billa, additional secretary and director general (tourism), and other senior officials of the ministry; and Preeti Lobana, country manager and vice president, Google India, along with some other representatives. PTI KND APL APL
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.